Life member of the Otago Chess Club and former New Zealand Champion, Graham Haase passed away last month. Graham contributed a great deal to chess in Otago and New Zealand as a player, coach, administrator and a gentleman. The peak of his playing career came in 1961, when he won the South Island Championship and later that year went on to win the 1961/62 New Zealand Championship. Graham was the first player to head the great Ortvin Sarapu in a New Zealand Championship. He was awarded the New Zealand Master title in 1985 for his results in the 1960s. Graham was Otago Club champion 10 times between the mid-sixties and mid-eighties, and was generous in passing on his skill to younger players. Graham served as Otago Club President was among a small handful of individuals who have both won the New Zealand Championship and served as President of the New Zealand Chess Association. He was was always and engaging character. Graham was determined but scrupulously fair minded as a player and many appreciated his quirky sense of humour.
Today's game is one of Graham's most important wins from his New Zealand Championship victory. He was playing Black against a formidable opponent, Roger Court of Hastings, who went on to win the championship himself at his next attempt two years later.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 Although not known as a gambiteer, the Budapest Gambit suits Graham's style, which could be described as classical, while striving for active pieces. 3.dxe5 Ne4!? 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.a3 d6 6.exd6 Bxd6 7.Nbd2 Bf5 8.Nxe4 Bxe4 9.e3 Qf6 10.Bd3 Bxd3 11.Qxd3 O-O-O 12.Qc2 g5!? Up to here the players have been playing down a line of the slightly dubious Fajarowicz variation where Black has given up a pawn for quick development and active piece play. Black's last move has the aggressive aim of cramping the White knight and discouraging kingside castling. 13.Bd2 Rhg8 14.O-O-O g4 15.Bc3 Qe6 16.Nd2 f5!? Keeping the White pieces out of e4 and setting his opponent the most difficult problems. Although White is a safe pawn up, he has to defend pawns on c4 and h2, and his king's shelter is a little airy. 17.g3 Possibly best for White here would be 17 h3!? gxh3 18 g3! giving back the extra pawn to break up the Black pawns and reactivate his own pieces. Instead he weakens his own structure further and Black responds by exchanging White's best piece. 17.--- Be5! 18.h3?! --- The extra tempo allowed to Black compared to the previous note stretches the White pieces too far, and he must lose his extra pawn for less compensation. 18.--- Bxc3 19.Qxc3 Ne5! Threatening 20 ...Nd3+ followed by 21... Nxf2. 20.Nb3 Rxd1+ 21.Kxd1?! --- After the better 21 Rxd1 Qxc4 22 Qxc4 Nxc4 23 Nd4 White maintains equality. 21.--- Rd8+ 22.Kc2 Qc6?! Winning the exchange, but more promising was simply 22...Nxc4! threatening a queen fork on e4. After 23 Rh2 Qe4+ 24 Kc1 gxh3 25 Nd4 Ne5 Black has extra material and a raging attack. 23.Qxe5! Qxh1 24.Qxf5+ Kb8 25.Qxg4? --- Fatally neglecting f2 and d3. After 25 hxg4 Black has no more than a draw by perpetual check. 25.--- Qf1! 26.Nc1 Qxf2+ 27.Kb1 Qxe3 28.h4 Qd4 29.Qxd4?! Rxd4 The rook vs knight ending is a simple win, but early resignation was less common then. 30.b3 Rd2 31.g4 Rg2 32.g5 Rh2 33.Nd3 Rxh4 34.Ne5 Re4 35.Nd7+ Kc8 36.Nf6 Re7 37.Kc2 Kd8 38.Kd3 Rg7 39.Ne4 Ke7 40.Ke3 b6 41.b4 Ke6 42.a4 Kf5 43.Kf3 Re7 44.Nf6 Kxg5 45.Nd5 Rf7+ 46.Kg3 h5 White resigns
0-1
Solution: 1 ... Rxc2! wins the white queen as 2 Rxc2 Qb1+ 3 Qc1 Qxc1+ 4 Rxc1 Rxc1+ 5 Rf1 Rxf1 is mate.
Graham Haase 1930 - 2011
Problem: Black to play and win.
Life member of the Otago Chess Club and former New Zealand Champion, Graham Haase passed away last month. Graham contributed a great deal to chess in Otago and New Zealand as a player, coach, administrator and a gentleman. The peak of his playing career came in 1961, when he won the South Island Championship and later that year went on to win the 1961/62 New Zealand Championship. Graham was the first player to head the great Ortvin Sarapu in a New Zealand Championship. He was awarded the New Zealand Master title in 1985 for his results in the 1960s. Graham was Otago Club champion 10 times between the mid-sixties and mid-eighties, and was generous in passing on his skill to younger players. Graham served as Otago Club President was among a small handful of individuals who have both won the New Zealand Championship and served as President of the New Zealand Chess Association. He was was always and engaging character. Graham was determined but scrupulously fair minded as a player and many appreciated his quirky sense of humour.
Today's game is one of Graham's most important wins from his New Zealand Championship victory. He was playing Black against a formidable opponent, Roger Court of Hastings, who went on to win the championship himself at his next attempt two years later.
1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 e5
Although not known as a gambiteer, the Budapest Gambit suits Graham's style, which could be described as classical, while striving for active pieces.
3.dxe5 Ne4!?
4.Nf3 Nc6
5.a3 d6
6.exd6 Bxd6
7.Nbd2 Bf5
8.Nxe4 Bxe4
9.e3 Qf6
10.Bd3 Bxd3
11.Qxd3 O-O-O
12.Qc2 g5!?
Up to here the players have been playing down a line of the slightly dubious Fajarowicz variation where Black has given up a pawn for quick development and active piece play. Black's last move has the aggressive aim of cramping the White knight and discouraging kingside castling.
13.Bd2 Rhg8
14.O-O-O g4
15.Bc3 Qe6
16.Nd2 f5!?
Keeping the White pieces out of e4 and setting his opponent the most difficult problems. Although White is a safe pawn up, he has to defend pawns on c4 and h2, and his king's shelter is a little airy.
17.g3
Possibly best for White here would be 17 h3!? gxh3 18 g3! giving back the extra pawn to break up the Black pawns and reactivate his own pieces. Instead he weakens his own structure further and Black responds by exchanging White's best piece.
17.--- Be5!
18.h3?! ---
The extra tempo allowed to Black compared to the previous note stretches the White pieces too far, and he must lose his extra pawn for less compensation.
18.--- Bxc3
19.Qxc3 Ne5!
Threatening 20 ...Nd3+ followed by 21... Nxf2.
20.Nb3 Rxd1+
21.Kxd1?! ---
After the better 21 Rxd1 Qxc4 22 Qxc4 Nxc4 23 Nd4 White maintains equality.
21.--- Rd8+
22.Kc2 Qc6?!
Winning the exchange, but more promising was simply 22...Nxc4! threatening a queen fork on e4. After 23 Rh2 Qe4+ 24 Kc1 gxh3 25 Nd4 Ne5 Black has extra material and a raging attack.
23.Qxe5! Qxh1
24.Qxf5+ Kb8
25.Qxg4? ---
Fatally neglecting f2 and d3. After 25 hxg4 Black has no more than a draw by perpetual check.
25.--- Qf1!
26.Nc1 Qxf2+
27.Kb1 Qxe3
28.h4 Qd4
29.Qxd4?! Rxd4
The rook vs knight ending is a simple win, but early resignation was less common then.
30.b3 Rd2
31.g4 Rg2
32.g5 Rh2
33.Nd3 Rxh4
34.Ne5 Re4
35.Nd7+ Kc8
36.Nf6 Re7
37.Kc2 Kd8
38.Kd3 Rg7
39.Ne4 Ke7
40.Ke3 b6
41.b4 Ke6
42.a4 Kf5
43.Kf3 Re7
44.Nf6 Kxg5
45.Nd5 Rf7+
46.Kg3 h5
White resigns
0-1
Solution: 1 ... Rxc2! wins the white queen as 2 Rxc2 Qb1+ 3 Qc1 Qxc1+ 4 Rxc1 Rxc1+ 5 Rf1 Rxf1 is mate.